Method of and appratus for cleaning and lapping cotton



Sept. 30, 1930. w. w. ARNOLD, JR

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND LAPPING COTTON Filed Nov. 5, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY INVENTOR WW. ATTI/O'M' w. w. ARNOLD, JR

Sept. 30, 1930.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND LAPPiNG com'ou Filed Nov. 5, 19 29 5 Sheets-Shee 2 INVENTOR WAT'WG C J BY W 44 ATTORNEY S S E N H W Sept. 30 1930.

W. W. ARNOLD. JR

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND LAPPING COTTON 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 5, 1929 42 Ian.

||l)|||||lll1lllllllllllllllPPf' I WITNESS" Ill] IIII rulnr llllll llllllll l llllll l llllllll llIllllilllllllllllllllll INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 30, 1930. r w w ARNOLD, JR 1,777,245

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND LAPPING COTTQN Filed Nov. 5, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 l EN OR WITNESS w, v T

' .ArnezdJ. J ics ATTORNEY pt. 30, 1930. w. w. ARNOLD, JR 1,777,245

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND LAPPING COTTON Filed Nov. 5, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 rgi Q40 B n H mm 16 107 .14 A} :46 1 jog 201 INVENTOR wwflrnc lrl fi ATTORNEY WITNESS Patented Sept. 39, 1930 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR Application filed November 5, 1929.

This invention involves a method of and apparatnsfor cleaning and lapping cotton designed to improve the product, both as to uniformity and quality, to reduce the labor of supervision and operation, and to further reduce the cost of operation by elimination of parts and reduction of the operating power required.

As is well known, cotton is clean'ed and formed into sheets which are compressed into laps, by pickers or picking machines, the compressed sheet or lap being wound into a rollcominonly call-ed a lap, to be placed on a carding machine in the process of manufacturing yarn therefrom. The pickers are designed to open up, clean and deliver the cotton in a uniform sheet and it is necessary, in order to secure uniformity of product that laps containing the same yardage should weigh the same and that every yard, foot and inch of the finished lap should be of uniform hiclrness.

As heretofore practised in an attempt to secure this uniformity of product and uniform thickness of sheet or lap, a series of separate independently operating pickers are arranged in line, each picker having compressing rolls and forming individual laps. At the back or receiving ends of the pickers which follow in line after the first or breaker picker, four laps from the first picker are used and fed to the receiving rolls of following picker units and four laps made by this unit are fed to the next, when a third unit is employed,

to make the finishing lap. The receiving or feedirolls of the second or following picker areusually equippedwith evener or speed regulating means which accelerate or retard the speed of rotation of its feed rolls as the sheet passing through said rolls above or below the required thickness.

These pickers between their receiving and discharge rolls are usually provided with a heater revolving at a high rate of speed and with suction screen cylinders between which the cotton is passed from the heater to clean it further ar l to collect it thereon as a bat or loose sheet which is passed by the discharge rolls to compression or lap forming rolls at 53 exit or front end of each picker, the comn srares PATENT orries CLEANING AND LAPII'NG- COTTON Serial No. 405,033.

pressed sheets thus formed being wound into rolls, called laps. The screen calender or compression rolls cylinders and are rotated at uniform speeds while the speed of rotation of the feed rolls s variable through the evener or speed regulating means first or breaker is usually provided with a which the rolls of this first unit.

described. The picker unit of such a series hopper from loose cotton is passed to the feed ine four lap process previously described gives fairly satisfactory results as to uniformity of thickness long as each picker unit has its own supply of laps at the receiving end of the picker. when exhausted must These laps, however, be replenished by an operator, with the end of the exhausting lap and the front end of the new lap rectly ]O1Z16(1 without overlap The same operator,

take off the full lap from the or laps coror spacing.

in practice, must also front of each machine, as they are made. Under these conditions, a break frequently occurs in the oining of lap ends forinity of thickness in therefore difficult, if not imp cure. I

Additionally, this process by replenishment, and unithe finished lap is ossible, to serequired the employment of additional operatives to take off full laps and replenish exhausting laps, and the laps which are fed through the picker units following the first or havingbeen compressed, oanno and thoroughly cleaned breaker unit, t be so readily by the heaters and suction cylinder screens of the following units. v

An object of provision of pling aseries of cleaning the present invention is the a method of and means for conor picker units for complemental operation in unison as one machine functioning to pass cotton as a single uncompressed sheet continuously and successively through the series of cleaning pickers or units which act successively to clean the cottonv aided by its uncompressed state, the

cleaned sheet after it emerges from the discharge rolls of the last unit being compressed to form the lap.

This method is made practic effectively practised by app'ara a1 and may be tus (1) ensuring the continuous feed of a uniform mass of cotton to the first or breaker picker unit; providing for the passage of this cotton as a continuous sheet of preregulated massuni formity from the first through the succeeding unit or units for cleaning without compression; (3) and for regulating the rate of movement of the sheet in response to variance from a predetermined standard of thickness and in compensation for said variance so as to ensure uniform thickness of the cleaneduncompressed sheet emerging from the discharge end of the series of units, the

paratus producing these results and practising the method involved constituting an additional feature of the invention.

In further explanation and preliminary to a detailed discussion of apparatus with which the described method may be practised, it may be stated that a series of three picker units, for example, of standard construction, may be used in alinement, with the compression or calender rolls of the first two units omitted. and with the discharge rolls of the first and second units connected with the receiving or feed rolls of the second and third units, respectively, by endless aprons or other suitableconveyors automatically passing the sheet of bats from the discharge rolls of one unit to the receiving or feed rolls of the next.

The feed rolls, the apron conveyor and its cooperating bladed feed cylinders, and the screen cylinders and discharge rolls of the first unit are driven from and their speed is controlled by speed varying mechanism incorporated in the feed roll drive for the second unit and o erated by an evener or compensating thic mess gauge which cooperates with the feed rolls of the second unit automatically to compensate for substandard thickness or the sheet passing therebetween by increasing the rate of feed to both the first and second units, and for abnormal thickness, by decreasing the rate of feed. The screen cylinders, discharge rolls and apron conveyer at the end of the second unit which pass the sheet to the third or finishing unit, are driven at constant speed so that this compensating variance in the speed of the feed rolls in advance thereof is with relation to this constant speed and serves to compensate and correct the feed rate at the initial unit.

, Further to compensate and to ensure uniformity of thickness in the sheet before compression by the calender rolls to form the la the screen cylinders, discharge rolls and ca ender or compression rolls at the terminal end of the third or terminal unit are driven in unison at variable compensating speeds through the driving mechanism for the feed rolls of said third unit which mechanism includes a differential speed device controlled and operated through an evener or thickness gauge cooperating with the feed rolls of said third unit and functioning, reversely to the evener control by the second unit, to slow down the cylinders, discharge and compres sion rolls in the event of substandard thickness of the sheet passing through the third unit feed rolls, or to speed up their rotation When the sheet is abnormally thick to coinpensate for abnormality oi thickness either Way and cause delivery to the compression rolls of a continuous sheet of uniform thickness.

This standardization of product is secured and ensured, in combination with these auto-- mat-ic compensatory means by providing at the very outset of the operation and ensuring the continuity of supply to the feed or receiving rolls of the first picker unit, oi a uniform mass oil, cotton. This initial step is of great importance to the standardizaticm oi the finished product since it will be evident that under these conditions no such varianc s from standard or predeterminately adjusted selected thickness of the sheet can occur which cannot be immediately corrected by evcner compensation. ide variances due to material fed without will be difficult if not impossible to correct in a continuously operating system such as employed herein and the di-xtermina'te control and uniformity of mass in initially feeding is, therefore, 01 great importance.

The apparatus with which. the described method of cleaning and lapping may be carried out, and the method itself, in its practi cal aspects, will be more clearly understood from the following detailed specification which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof and illustrating one form of apparatus con structed and operating in accordance with the present invention.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 and Figure 1 are consecutive views in continuation of a side elevation oi a series of three picker or cleaning units embodying the present invention, preceded by a hopper and means for feeding the cotton therefrom regulatively with predetermined uniform mass to the feed rolls of the first picker unit, the operating parts of the units being diagrammatically shown. with the car-1 ings merely indicated by solid lines.

Figure 2 and Figure 2 are coi'isecutive views in continuation of a diagrammatic top plan view of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 1, the casings of the picker units being merely indicated diagrammatically in full lines.

Figure 3-is a view in end elevation repreenting a diagrammatic sectional view through the evener mechanism of the second unit on the line 33 of Figure 1".

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view in side ele vation showing the evener mechanism and belt shifting control.

The series of cleaning units are herein determinate mass control Fail shown as three pickers or picking machines 1, 2 and 3 for the purpose of illustration, with the usual calender or compressing rolls omitted from the discharge ends of the first two units, 1 and 2, and with'the calender rolls t beyond the discharge end of the terminal units acting to compress the sheet of cotton issuing therefrom to form the lap.

In advance of these units is located a cotton hopper 5 intothe casing of which loose cotton is fed by a conveyer 6. An apron or endless belt 7 at the bottom and front or cotton intake end of the casing feeds the loose cotton to the lower end of an upwardly inclined slat-type conveyor 8 which elevates it to the top of the casing to a point between reversely rotating toothed cylinders 9 and 10, with the former acting to strip the surplus cotton from the conveyor 8. The cotton passes the cylinder 10 which in turn drives it over an underlying perforated cleaning concave 11 having a downwardly curved lip 12 over which the cotton passes to drop on an endless belt conveyor 13 therebelow. A toothed roller 14 above the delivery end of conveyer l3 cooperates with the conveyor to deliver the cotton between a pair of feed rolls 15, 16, which in turn pass it into the casing 1'? in which is mounted a bladed cylinder 18 which forces the cotton upwardly through a trunk 19, and removes part of the dirt, etc., through perforations in the bot tom of the casing.

The trunk 19 carries the cotton which has been partly cleaned in its passage to this point, to the closed upper end of a collecting casing 20, the lower end of which is supported and positioned above an apron or endless conveyor 21 constituting part of the cleaner unit 1 and located at its intake end; At the lower end of casing 20 above and adjacent to the discharge end of the belt conveyor 21 is mounted a rotating bladed cylinder 22, which in conjunction with the conveyor belt is eiiective to pass the cotton in between the feed rolls 23 24 of unit 1 located adjacent to the discharge end of the belt 21. The belt, bladed cylinder and feed rolls are driven in unison through a common driving mechanism operated from the drive :tor the feed rolls of the second unit 2 as will be later described.

To ensure a constant supply of cotton to the belt and bladed cylinder and through them to the feed rolls 23, 24, and to ensure determinate uniformity in the mass so supplied, I employ the following instrumentalities. At the upper end of the casing 20 below the discharge end of trunk 19, a cylindrical screen 25 is rotatably mounted and in ternal suction is provided therein as is common in the picker art to cause the cotton to adhere to its periphery. This screen, as shown, rotates in a clockwise direction. A second and reversely rotating cylincer 26 dischargeat the forward mounted at one side of the suction cylinder 25 acts to strip the bats of cotton therefrom. A second and reversely rotating bladed stripping cylinder 27 is located immediately below the cylinder 25 and in conjunction with cylinder 26 is effective to clear from the suction cylinder practically all cotton adhering thereto and to strip and release it for gravity side of the casing l 'ounted in the casing 20 between its side walls and below the suction cylinder is an ad ustable trough-forming element comprising a vertically extending plate 28 of a width coincident with the width of the casing interior, the upper edge of said plate being hing"- edly mounted at 29 at apoint below and substantia ly alined rith the forward face or stripping cylinder 27, on the forward end of afixed iearwardly and downwardly inclined baiile plate 30. The lower edge of the plate 28 terminates in line with the bladed feeding cylinder 29 at a point above thefeeding belt 21 between its receiving and discharge ends. t is provided with a rearward horizontal ettension plate 31 overlying the rearward portion. oi the belt and provided at one do edge with a lug 32 through which the n1: of a bolt extends, this bolt passing through a curved slot in the side wall of the casing 20, centered on the pivot 29 and providii for he adjustment of the face of the r .l plate 28 at its lower end toward and from the forward end wall 20 of casing 20.

The spacing of the face of thisplate at its lower end "from the front end wall of the easing 20 will variably determine the area of and make uniform the massof cotton which will pass between said face and the bladed cylinder 22 to be led by the latter and belt 2i to the feed rolls 23, 24: of the first cleaning unit or piclrer l oi the series. The plate 28 ans casing wall 2O form in eiiect a regulating box or constant predetermined and main: tained mass capacity in order that a constant supply of cotton having this predetermined and uniform mass area may always be supplied to the feed belt and bladed cylinder 21-, 22, the gearing driving the described feeding instrumentalities supplying; cotton to the suction cylinder 25 will be organized and driven at a speed to supply an excess amount or cotton to the casing 20 over and above the amount required to constantly till the trough between the ion ward face of plate 28 and the end wall 20*"- ot the casing. A bladed cylinder 33 mounted below the stripping cylinder 2? and slightly above and at the upper hinged edge 29 ot the plate 28-, is rotated in a clockwise direction and passes the surplus cotton rising above the upper end 2-9 of the plate '28 backwardly over and down the inclined baffle plate which delivers it to an endless conveyer 34 by means of which it is returned to may be arranged to provide an the conveyer 6 and again placed in the manufacturing cycle.

An overhead electric motor may be used to drive the bladed cylinder 18 through belt 36 and pulley 37 mounted on its shaft 18', and through a second pulley 38 on the extended opposite end of shaft 18 and a belt connecting with a pulley 39 on the extended end of the shaft 10 of bladed cylinder 10, to drive the cylinder 10. A cross shaft 40 traversing the upper portion of the casing 5 between the faces of the conveyer belt 8 has one outer end beyond the casing provided with pulley and belt connection 41 with a pulley 42 on the opposite extended end of shaft 10 and with a second and reversed belt and pulley connection with the shaft 9 of bladed cylinder 9. The opposite extended end of shaft 40, as shown in Figure 2 is intergeared, through stub shaft 43 and intermeshing gearing to the shaft 8 of the upper pulley of the belt conveyer 8. The opposite end of this pulley shaft is back geared by sprocket and chain 44, for example, to a sprocket 45 on the extended end of the shaft of feed roll 16 as shown in Figure 2, which shaft is intergeared as shown at 46 with the extended end of shaft 14 of the bladed feeding cylinder 14-. The opposite end of this shaft is intergeai ed with the shaft of upper feed roll 15 as shown at the lower side of Figure 2 at 47. The lower pulley of belt conveyor 8 may be intergeared with the pulley at the forward end of the first apron or conveyer 7 as indicated at 48 in Figure 2.

It will thus be evident that the feeding apparatus placed in advance of the three cleaning or picker units 1, 2 and 3, is driven independently of the cleaning units and that the gearing ratios and rate of feed to the trough above the belt conveyor 21 and bladed feed cylinder 22 which initiates the feed of cotton through the series of cleaning units,

adequate margin of surplus in the amount of cotton fed to the trough, thus ensuring a continuously filled trough and a continuous uniform mass of cotton to be fed into the initial cleaning unit.

The three cleaning units or pickers of the series illustrated herein are essentially of standard construction but modified to eliminate from the first two units land 2, the calender or compression rolls, to drive and control the rate of movement of the feed, dis charge, and sheeting screen cylinders of the initial picker unit through the feed roll drive and associated evener mechanism of the intermediate unit, and to control the discharge rate of the sheeted cotton to the compressing calender rolls in the terminal unit through evener mechanism gauging the thickness of the sheet as it is fed into said terminal unit.

The initial unit 1 of the series of picking units, which may be termed the breaker picker includes as part of its feed mechanism the endless apron or conveyer belt 21 and the bladed feed cylinder 22 as well as the adjacent parallel feed rolls 23 and 24. These feed rolls pass the cotton into a cylinder concave 49, the lower portion on which is slotted or perforated, this cylinder concave housing the usual beater 50 rotating at a high rate of speed and serving to beat out the heavier particles of seed, motes, sand and leaf, driving them through the slotted or perforated bottom of the concave. From this concave the cotton is driven by the beater over a plate 51 extending from the concave which passes the cotton between the usual pair of cylindrical screens 52 against the peripheries of which bats of cotton are drawn by internal suction in the usual manner and issue from the screens in sheeted form, the suction air trunk being indicated generically at 53 in Figure 1. From the screens 52, the sheet passes between the discharge rolls 6263.

The shaft 50 of the beater projecting outwardly from one side of the picker casing carries the usual screen cylinder suction'fan driving pulley 61 and an associated beater pulley 54- driven through a belt 55 from a pulley 56 on the shaft of an individual electric motor 57 for this first unit. The beater shaft at its opposite extended end is provided, as shown in Figure 2, with a second pulley 58 and crossed belt connection 59 to a pulley 60 on the extended shaft of the screen cylinder 25 to drive said cylinder in the reverse direction of rotation to beater 50. Conveniently, the opposite end of the shaft of the cylinder 25 may also be intergeared with a gear on the extended ends ofthe shaft of the stripping roll 26 and on the shafts of bladed cylinders 27 and 33. The speed of the beater shaft and of the screen cylinder 25 and associated stripping and cleaning rolls 26, 27 is therefore constant and uniform. The apron 21, bladed cylinder 22 and feed rolls 23, 24, constituting the feed, and the sheeting screen cylinders 52 and discharge rolls O2, 63, are all driven and their speed of rotation varied in unison from the driving mechanism for the feed rolls of the second unit 2 through an evener control.

This second or intermediate unit 2 of the series of units is, like unit 1, provided at its rear or receiving end with an apron or endless belt conveyer 64 with a sheet guiding roll 65 overlying the conveyer belt adjacent its forward discharging end. The intermediate unit 2 is assembled relatively to the initial unit 1 to bring the rear end of its belt closely adjacent tothe discharging rolls 62, 63 of the first unit so that the sheet of cotton bats which passes from between the screen cylinders 52 as a loose uncompressed sheet is guided between and by the rolls 62, 63 over onto the apron 64 which carries the sheet forwardly over a lower feed roll 68 and beneath the fingers of an evener mechanism or thickness gauge shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4 and more fully described hereinafter. From the receivii or feed roll 68, the sheet of cotton r I second beating cylinder 69 1 tr to that the first unit ardly to and between the pair cylinders 70 corresponding e of the fi st unit and thence through the pair of discharge rolls 71 the apron or endl belt conveyor at the receiving or rear end of the terminal unit.

e a' trunk for the screen cylinders 70 is .idici d at 72 and the electric driving motor 75 pported above the unit 2 drives e shaft 69 of the heater cylinder 69 through i pulley from the motor to a pulley 71 69, this shaft in turn being utilized to drive the screen cylinders 70 and discharge rolls of the second unit 2 and the feeding apron or belt conveyor of the third or terminal unit 8. The pulley 7 a is fast to shaft 69. A

second fast pulley 7 5 is also mounted thereon to provide the belt drive for the usual screen der suction creating fan.

e opposite end of shaft 69, which simiy projects beyond the picker easing car- ;we fast pulleys, 7 6 and 77 (Figure 2). The outermost pulley 77 connects by a ford downwardly extending belt 78 a y 79 on a short stub shaft 79 *it'ed on and journaled in the picker cas- On this shaft a gear 80 is keyed for g to the pulley and is permanently in mesh with a gear 81 on the adjacent end of a shaft 82 which traverses the picker and extends outwardly therefrom at On the extremity of this is mounted a sprocket gear 83 is g by chain 84: with a sprocket gear 85 extended end of shaft 86 of the forward and driving roll of the apron or endless belt *eyer 87 of the third unit 3. The shaft 86 a second gear 88 (Figure 2*) which meshes with and drives a gear 89 on the extended en of the saft 90 of the feed roll 91 of the. d unit. lhe sheet guiding rolls overlying the aprons 6i and 87 are not driven merely overlay the sheet. Returning to the shaft 82, it will be seen a x acent and inwardly of its sprocket 83, o met .its a second gear 92 which meshes l gear 98 on the extended end of the shai of e lower screen cylinder 70, and

d cl sprocket gear 94: driving through a sprocket gear 96 on the extended 71 of the lower feed roll 71,

1 is intergeared through a gear 97 r gear on the snaft of the upper Likewise, the upper screen cylgeared with the driving gear 93 0 that both screen cylinders 70 and e ro is 71 rotate in unison at uni form speed with the feed belt conveyor or apron 87 and feed roll 91 of the third unit coincidently driven at a uniform rate through the same driving mechanism.

The second and third units are thus couplcd to operate in unison tl :ough driving connection with the motor driven. beater shaft 69 of the second unit. This same motor drivon shaft is utilized to furnish driving power for the feeding, sheeting, and discharging means of the first unit, thus coupling thelatter, thereto for unified operation, by the following means.

From the inner pulley 7 6 on the beater shaft 69 of the second unit, a belt 98 transmits rotation to a pulley 99 on one end ofa cross shaft 100 traversing the rear end of the casin of picker unit 2 and suitably journaled for rotation. The opposite end of this shaft carries a gear 101 (Figure 2 which meshes with and drives an alining gear 102, on a lower pulley shaft 103 mounting intermediate of its ends a conical pulley 104. Above and in parallel with shaft 103 is mounted a second and upper pulley shaft 105 upon which a second conical pulley 106 is mounted in reverse to the lower pulley 104 so that their tapers are reversely directed. A belt 107 connects the upper and lower pulleys and drives the upper pulley and its shaft 105 (and through it the cotton feeding, sheeting and discharging means of the first unit) at variable speeds determined by the positioning of the driving belt 107 longitudinally of the reverse tapers of the conical pulleys 104, 106. 1

On the extended end of the shaft 105 above the pulley 99 of the lower pulley shaft, a worm 108 is mounted and meshes with a worm gear 109 on the shaft 110 which extends longitudinally of units 2 and 1 to a point below the shaft of the forward driving roll of the endless feed apron 21 of the first unit as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Projecting outwardly from and ournaled in the casing adjacent the apron roll is a short stub shaft mounting a bevel gear 111 meshing with a bevel gear 112 on the end of shaft 110. Inwardly of the bevel gear 111, the stub shaft mounts a toothed gear 118 which meshes with a similar gear 114 on the shaft 84 of the lower feed roll 24. The opposite extended end of shaft 8 1 carries a gear 115 meshing with a similar gear on the overlying end of the upper feed roll 23 and also with a gear 116 on. the extended end of t 1e shaft of the bladed cylinder 22 and driving the latter. The shaft of this cylinder also carries an adjacent gear 117 meshing with a gear 118 on the extended end of the shaft of the driving roll of belt 21. The feed mechanism including apron 21, bladed feed cylinder 22 and feed rolls 23 2 1 are thus rotated in unison through siaft 110 whose speed may be varied.

This shaft 110 is also used to drive the 121 on'the shaft as ed end of the shaft of the upper feed roll 62. Outwardly o f the gear 123 the shaft 63 carries a second gear 124 which meshes with gear 125 onthe extended end of the shaft52 of the lower screen cylinder 52. The gear '125 meshes with a similar gear on the shaft of the upper cylinder and drives the latter therethrough; 7 7

Thus all elements in the first unit control ling the rate of feed of the cotton there through are driven by and their speed of rotation controlled through shaft 110. The cross shaft 119 also drives by gear and sprocket connection to the shaft of the driving roll of apron 64 of the second unit (as shown at 126, Fig. 2), this apron feed roll and through the intergearing as shown in Figure 2 between the apron feed roll shaft andshaft 68, driving the feed roli 68 on that shaft. The rate of movement of the cotton through the first unit and through the feeding mechanism of the second unit .is therefore controlled through shaft 110.

The belt 10? transmitting rotation to shaft 110 is movable longitudinally of the pulleys 104, 106 to vary thetransmitted speed, and therefore the the cotton fed into and' discharged from the first unit and as fed into the second unit by evener mechanism such as is commonlyused in pickers and which is shown in Figures 3 and 4. This evener mechanism is the same, structurally, in both the second and third units and a. description of one will apply to both, it being understood that the evener mechanism ef the second unit controls the drive and feed of the first and the feed rate of the second unit and that the evener mechanism of the third unit controls the discharge rate from said unit through its screen cylinders and discharge rolls.

Referring specifically to Figures 3"and 4, it will be seen that a hollow rectangular boxing 127 having an openjlower end and of a length coincident with that of the feed roll 68 is fixedly supported above this roll with its lower face determinately spaced tlfereabove. The rear lower edge of this boxing is formed with an upturned lip 128 over which are booked for hinging thereon the hooked rear ends 129 of a longitudinally tending series of evener or thickness gauge plates 130 which traverse the lower face of the boxing and depend therebelow.

These plates have ears 131 upstanding speed or rate of movement of" driven pulley through it to the she 110.

from their upper faces and are suspended in longitudinally adjacent pairs by links 132 pivotally connecting the ears with opposite ends of horizontal levers 133 which in turn are connected in pairs by links 134 extending upwardly from their middle points and pivoted to the opposite ends of a spanning horizontal lever 135 which likewise are snn ilarly connected in pairs to a third horizontal lever 136 thereabove.

As shown, the evener plates 130 are sixteen in number and a pair of horizontal levers 136 each support one half of the plates. These levers 136 are similarly supported by a topmostlever or beam 137, which supports theentire series of plates and isitself supported by av link138 extending upwardly through an elongated slotin the top of the casing and hooks its upper end over the hooked inner end of a control arm 139 extending lengthwise of the boxing from adjacent its middle to a point beyond one end.

This arm fulcrums adjacent its inner end on a knife edge support 140 upstanding from' V 144 whose toothed upper end meshes with toothed rack 145 on the under face of a horizontal rack bar suitably guided for move ment transversely of the casing and extending parallel to pulley shafts 103 and 105 in a horizontal plane between and longitudinally spaced from said shafts.

At a point alining with their pulleys 104, 106, the bar 145 is provided with a longitudinally extending arm 146 having a bifurcated end embracing and guiding the pulley belt 107. Manifestly, movement of the rack bar with its arm 146 transversely of the picker casing will vary the speed of rotation transmitted from the driying pulley 104 to the 106 and its shaft 105 and A weight 147 is adjustably fixed on the fulcrumed control arm 139, between its fulcrum and outer end to be slightly overbalanced by the evener mechanism suspended from theinner end of said arm so that the evcner plates 130 will tend to press lightly upon the sheet of cotton passing thereunder. Since the series of evener plates are independently movable, they? will detect substandard or abnormal thickness in the sheet at all pointstransversely thereof it passes under the plates, and the resultant mov ment of an evener plate or plates will be lflO unit and the screen cylinders 151,

charge r trolled a transmitted through the supporting linkage to the control arm through i; to the belt shifting rack bar.

Substandard thickness will cause the evener plate or plates to descend, lifting rod 141 and moving rack bar to shift the pulley belt to decrease the speed of rotation imparted to shaft 105. Abnormal thickness will cause reverse movement and the trans mission of an increased speed of rotation, This variance in speed will effect variance in the rate of feed of the sheet of cotton to the second unit to compensate for variance from a standard of thickness in the sheet passing therein over feed roll 63 so that the speed of that particular portion of the sheet will be retarded or increased before it reaches the uniformly rotating sheeting screen cylinders and discharge rolls of the second unit and relatively to the uniform speed of the cylinders and rolls, to olfset this laclr of uniformity.

The third or terminal unit 3 of the series has its sheet feeding apron 87, but not its overlying feeding roll 66 as well as its 1 er f roll 91 driven by ce i previousl scrioed operating connections from the shaft of the beater cylinder 69 of the second unit. A belt from the pulley of its electric driving motor 1 18 drives a pulley 1% on the shaft of its beater 151 (Figure 2) from whose concave the cotton sheet passes between screen cylinders 151 152 and a pair of discha r lls 153 in the other units, a suction trunk 15% communicating with the screen cylii lers being likewise employed.

The beater 151 is driven directlv the motor 1 18 of the third unit, the apron and feed rolls are driven from the second 152, c isrolls 153 and compressor or calender rolls 4 are driven from the beater througn an intermediate speed varying mechanism of the type shown in Figures 3 and 1, consimilar evener mechanism.

The transmission of power to the screen cylinders, discharge and compression rolls is effected as follows: The beater shaft 150 at its end opposite to the motor driven pulley 1 19, mounts a second pulley 155 which drives through belt 156 and a pulley 157, a cross shaft 158 traversing the rear end of the third unit casing. The opposite end of this cross shaft carries a gear 159 meshing with a gear 160 on the corresponding end of a parallel shaft 161 mounting a conical pulley162 thereon. This pulley drives through a connecting belt 163 a second conical but ly tapering pulley 16% mounted on a shaft 165 above and in parallel with the shaft 161.

This belt 163 is shifted longitudinally of the pulleys to vary the speed transmitted to tie driven shaft 165 in compensation for variance in the thickness of the cotton sheet passing under the evener box 1418 in the same manner as previously described in connection with Figures 3 and 4. and the evener mechanism of unit 2, the pulleys 162 and 16 1, however, eing reversed as to taper as shown in Eigure 2 so that a decrease in sheet thickness below a predetermined standard functions to reduce the speed transmitted to the driven shaft 165.

This reversal is effected since it is desired to drive the screen cylinder, discharge and compressor rolls from shaft 165 and to reduce their speed of rotation to compensate for decreased or substandard thickness and to increase their speed of rotation to compensate for abnormal thickness.

The shaft 165, at its end opposite to the gears 159,, 160, is extended outwardly from the picker casing and mounts a pulley 166 thereon. This pulley through belt 167 drives a pulley 168 on a short stub shaft 169 journaled in and outstanding laterally from the picker casing. A keyed gear 170 is mounted clutching engagement with on this shaft for the pulley 168 and is permanently in mesh with the 171 on a cross shaft 172. A second gear 173 on shaft 172 inwardly of gear 171 meshes with agear 17 1 on the adjacent one of a pair of lapping rolls 17 5 which extends outwardly from the lowermost of the series of four vertically alined compressor rolls a; The opposite ends of the lapping rolls are intergeared for coincident rotation in the same direction through an intermeshintermediate gear as indicated at 177 g ire 2 The lowermost compressing roll 1 has the extended end of its shaft provided with an outer gear 178 and a second 179 inwardly thereof. The outer gear 17 3 meshes with a gear 180 on the end of cross shaft 172. The

gear 179 meshes with alined gears on the corresponding ends of the series of three superposed compression rolls a. The uppermost of these gears transmits rotation through a horizontal train of gears shown at 181, ures 1 and 2 to a meshing gear 182 on the alined end of the uppermost discharge roll 153 which meshes with a corresponding gear on the underlying discharge roll. A second gear 183, Figure 2, on the end of the uppermost discharge roll meshes with ear 181 on the extended end of the shaft or the upper screen cylinder 151. The lower cylinder 152 is provided with a similar alining r in mesh with gear 181- so that the two screen cylinders, discharge rolls, compressor 1 s and lapping rolls turn in unison and at the speed variahly determined by the evener control of the pulley transmission heretofore described.

Thus the three units of the series are intergeared for operation inunison and for cooperative control of operating speed.

it will be evident that two or more units may be used. in the event only two units are desired, the compressor and lapping rolls will be mounted on the terminal end of the second unit and the speed or rate of feed controlled through the second unit as previously described. \Vhatever the number of units used, it will be clear that the operative principle employed will function to apply successive cleaning and sheeting operations without compression of the sheet until after the final sheeting operation; that the important feature of constant feed of cotton of maintained uniform mass to the first unit at the beginning of the cycle greatly facilitates the attainment of uniformity of sheet thick mess; that by cleaning the cotton in an uncompressed sheet, a cleaner and more uniform product may be attained; that by the continuity of successive operations and the use of a continuous single uncompressed sheet, dispensing .with lapping at the terminal end of each unit and feeding of a plurality of laps to successive machines, substantial saving in labor is effected While an improved product is secured. And further by the described control of feed, any slight variances in sheet thickness are compensated and corrected so that the sheet discharged from the terminal unit will more nearly approach and conform to a standard of uniformity than has heretofore been possible.

The particular mechanism used and illustrated represents the adaptation of standard available equipment to the method of treatment involved herein and is intended as illustrative of such a mechanism rather than restrictive of the invention which, as to apparatus, may be practised with various forms of cleaning units embodying the operative principles and functions disclosed herein within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim. therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of cleaning and compressing cotton for lapping which consists in continuously passing a mass of cotton through a series of complemental units opcrating successively thereof in unison, and varying the rate of discharge from a unit which forms the terminal of the complementa] units to provide for a predetermined thickness of the sheet as fed into said terminal unit.

2. The method of cleaning and sheeting cotton for lapping which consists in continuously passing a uniform mass of cotton through a series of complemental cleaning units operating successively thereof in unison, and including an initial unit, an intermediate unit and a terminal unit, operating the intermediate unit at a constant speed and the initial and terminal units at variable speeds, without subjecting the sheet of cotton to any tension whatsoever as it passes through said units to provide for a uniform thickness of the lap throughout its movement in the cleaning units.

3. The method of cleaning and compressing cotton for lapping which consists in continuously passing a mass of cotton through a series of complemental cleani units operating successively thereon in unison and including an initial unit, an intermediate unit and a terminal unit in cleaning and sheeting said cotton, in coincide 7 varying the rate of feed of the cotton to the initial and intermediate units to store temporarily a mass of cotton at the feeding end of the initial unit which is in excess of the mass required to provide a sheet of uniform thick ness, feedin the cotton from the mass to the initial unit in accordance with variations in the thickness of the sheet passing through said intermediate unit, and in varying the rate of discharge of the sheeted cotton in ac cordance with variations in the thickness of the sheet fed into said terminal unit, thus automatically preventing an tension or slackness occurring in said sheet of cotton as it passes through said units.

4:. The method of cleaning and compressing cotton for lapping which consists in organizing a series of picker units for successive operation in unison upon a mass of loose cotton fed to the initial unit, increasing and decreasing the rate of movement of the cotton through the first unit and its rate of feed to the next succeeding unit in accordance with a variance from a predetermined standard of thickness of the sheet passing through said succeeding unit, and increas ing or decreasing the speed'of the discharg ing cleaned sheet from the terminal unit in response to and in compensation for increase or decrease, respectively, of the thickness of the sheet passing to said terminal unit over or under said standard of thickness.

5. That step in the method of continuous cleaning and sheeting of cotton by passage of the cotton through a series of cleaning and sheeting units acting successively thereon in unison which consists in confining cotton passing to the intake end of said series within a definite area to provide uniformity of mass in the cotton so passing, and maintaining a constant supply and filling of said area, then feeding the cotton to an initial unit from the constantly maintained supply.

6. That step in the method of cleaning and sheeting cotton by passing the same through cleaning and sheeting units which consists in confining a uniform mass of cotton at the intake end of such unit or units and ensuring continuity of supply of uniform mass by feeding cotton to the area of confinement at agreater rate than the cotton passes said area to the intake end of said unit, and returning the surplus cotton to the initial feeding unit.

7. Apparatus for cleaning, sheeting and compressing cotton for lapping comprising a series of cleaning and sheeting units operatively interconnected for successive op eration in unison on cotton fed thereon, each unit having intake and discharge rolls at opposite ends and intermediate cleaning and sheeting elements, said elements and rolls being formed and operative to receive, clean, sheet and transmit said cotton to the next adjacent unit without tension, means for feeding cotton to the intake rolls of the first of said units in a mass of maintained uniformity, and means at the discharge end of the terminal unit of the series for compressing the cleaned uncompressed sheet discharged therefrom and means to create a variable speed in the last mentioned means to provide for a uniform thickness of the lap.

8. Apparatus for cleaning and sheeting cotton for lapping comprising a series of three cleaning and sheeting units interconnected for successive operation in unison on cotton fed thereto, said units each having means for feeding cotton therethrough, and for cleaning and sheeting the cotton in transit and having means for passing cotton from the first to and through the terminal unit as a continuous sheet without tension, said interconnected units providing means for driving the feeding means of the first unit from the operating mechanism of the second unit including a variable speed transmission mechanism and a sheet thickness gauge on the second unit operatively connected to and controlling said transmission, and means for controlling the speed of the discharge of said sheet from the third unit including a variable speed driving mechanism therefor and a sheet thickness gauge at the intake end of said third unit operatively connected to and controlling said variable speed mechanism.

9. Apparatus for cleaning and sheeting cotton comprising a power driven cleaning and sheeting device having cotton receiving and discharging means and intermediate cleaning and sheeting elements, and means for passing cotton to said feeding means providing a vertical cotton receiving channel having a lower end 0' determinate area and cotton capacity coincident in cross dimension with the receiving means, and means for continuously feeding cotton into the upper end of said channel faster than the cotton passes to said receiving means, means for withdrawing the surplus accumulating above said channel and returning same to the initial feeding unit or hopper WILLIAM WYILIE ARNOLD, JR. 

